


Bessie

by Pearlislove



Series: Infuriating and in love [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Romantic Fluff, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 18:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14026332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: Alistair meets a friendly dog named Bessie, and then, he meet her charming owner.Liz is out looking for her lost dog, Bessie, when she encouters the man that found Bessie first.From there, love bloom.





	Bessie

**Author's Note:**

> Liz/The Brig fluff because I live for that!!!
> 
> Liz's dog, Bessie, is strawblonde Chesapeake Bay Retriver for anyone wondering.

"Bessie? Bessie!" Liz called out, desperately hoping her dog would hear her voice and come running. Despite being unusually stubborn, Liz's beloved bitch was very affectionate and well-behaved. With clear traits of a family-oriented guard dog and a great affection for her owner, Bessie rarely left Liz's side unless forced to.   
  
And how ridiculous wasn't it, really, to have suddenly lost a twenty-four inches high and fifty-five pounds heavy two year old dog? It wasn't like Bessie could just hid in the grass like a small dog would. It was impossible, making Liz having lost her all the more embarrassing.   
  
Nonetheless, Bessie had indeed gone missing. She had turn her back to the dog for but a second while she throwing something in the trash, and, being the idiot that she was, Liz had let go of the leash as she did so. Liz couldn't have been looking away for more than half a minute, if even that much, but when she had turned back around, the dog was nowhere to be found.   
  
Fear filled Liz's chest and tears threatened in her eyes as she called out again, still did not getting any response. It terrified her to think what might have happened to her beloved dog, and the thought of never  finding her was one so terrible that she had yet to have the heart to entertain it.   
  
She had to find her, Liz thought, pumping her legs and running even faster as she continued on her way through the park. She couldn’t lose Bessie, she just couldn’t.   
  
\--   
  
Alistair was having a relaxing day. It was, in fact, one of those rare days when he could truly believe that he was retired and that saving the world was now someone else's troubles. Pushing the thoughts of how UNIT still called about the smallest detail away from himself, Alistair was determined to enjoy his walk, rather than trying to predict what disaster would be waiting once he got home.    
  
Today, he was retired, and nothing else. Even though he knew better, he would chose to believe UNIT could handle themselves for a single day.   
  
He'd come about half-way into the luscious green park, when suddenly, Alistair heard a dog barking in the distance. The sound was loud and insistent in his ears for a few moment, before suddenly stopping again. 

 

Normally, Alistair wouldn’t be concerned as he knew it was very common for dog owners to take their dog for a walk in the parc, but seeing as there were no other persons around, it made him suspicious. Soldier instinct kicking in, Alistair decided to look around.   
  
Soon enough, Alistair spotted the straw-blonde dog lying in the grass, resting with half-lidded eyes that opened fully as it spotted him. It was big dog, clearly of a strong working breed with muscular build. From it's position, it observed Alistair, following his movements with intelligent ember eyes that seemed to glow as it contrasted with the green grass.   
  
Extremely carefully, unsure if the dog was feral or if it'd just gotten lost - he'd never seen it before but figured it could be either or neither - Alistair began to approach it, meaning to see if it had a name tag or anything of the like. He manages to come quite close to the dog, walking off the road and coming up beside it, when it suddenly seemed to switch into some form of defense mood. Standing up on all four, it bared its teeth and gave off a low growl.   
  
Realizing the danger, Alistair naturally backed off, but by then he had already seen what he needed to. As it stood up, he could see the yellow collar around its throat, a long leash attached to it and swinging back and forth as it moved.   
  
The dog obviously belonged to someone, which meant that, especially as the leash was still attached, there was someone currently missing their dog.   
  
"Bessie!"    
  
The dog was alert within a second, turning around with its ears peeled, waiting and listening. Obviously, it must be its owner calling for it.   
  
Well, that solves how I'm going to track down the owner, Alistair thought.   
  
"Bessie! Thank god I found you! Come here!" The woman called out again, the sweet female voice sounding immensely relieved to have found her pet.   
  
Something inside Alistair reacted to the voice, and as the woman spoke, he turned around to face her. At same time as he did, however, the dog barreled past him, finally reacting to the command. Without the cane that he decidedly did not need yet, Alistair  was helpless to do anything but fall down as the dog knocked him off his feet, sending him right down on his back in the grass.

 

“Bloody hell, keep reigns of that dog of yours!” Despite knowing that it was hardly the dog owners fault that he tripped, Alistair couldn’t keep back the sharp remark as he struggled to sit up again. He was annoyed, embarrassed and unwilling to blame himself.

 

The woman, who was crouching next to the dog and snuggling it, looked up at him in surprise. “Oh my! I’m so sorry, Bessie didn’t mean it.” She smiled, patting the dog on the head and indicating that ‘Bessie’ was the name of the dog. “I hope you didn’t get hurt?”

 

She smiled, and Alistair found himself unable to answer. He could barely  _ breath _ , desperately trying to decide if he should believe what his eyes were seeing. The woman infront of him was not only familiar, but it was someone Alistair knew quite well.

 

Doctor Elizabeth Shaw

 

She’d grown old, undeniably, but then again, so had he...and she was red haired now, too.or perhaps, it was simply that she had been blonde then? It hardly mattered. The colour of her hair hardly imposed upon Liz’s beauty. Ans her smile, it was a smile Alistair recognised so well. The look in her eyes, it was the same he’d seen so long ago, and oh, if the Brigadier wouldn’t recognise it anywhere.

 

“I am quite fine, Doctor Shaw.” Alistair answered cheekily, smiling at her in sudden shock. He still couldn’t quite believe that out of all people that the dog could have belonged to, the owner had to be her. It had to be Elizabeth Shaw herself.

 

Suddenly, a dog named ‘Bessie’ with a yellow collar was so much more logical, the reference extremely amusing as he thought of the lovely old car still standing in his garage.

 

“How...do I know you?” Liz smiled, equal parts confused and charmed by the elderly gentleman sitting on the grass and smiling at her. He was familiar, somehow, but she couldn’t say that she recognised him. Obviously, they must have met at some point, seeing as he very well recognised her, but she didn’t know when and where. “I understand we must have met, Sir,  but I meet many people, and my memory isn’t quite what it used to be. Do you mind introducing yourself?” Liz asked politely, praying the man before her would not be offended. After all, he looked just like the sort of elder gentleman who would be offended to not be remembered by his acquaintances. Liz did not want to offend, she couldn’t for the life of her recall who the man was or where she’d met him.

 

Alistair was surprised to hear that Liz did not remember him. Of course, he knew it had been a long time, and he’d aged, but it didn’t stop it from stinging as she politely asked for him to introduce himself. He’d recognised her so well, even with that new hair colour he knew it was her, and he’d though she’d be the same. Obviously not. “Certainly. I am...I…” Usually so eloquent, the words slipped off Alistair's tongue as he tried to speak, leaving him silent and embarrassed. He didn’t know what he’d say. How did you introduce yourself to someone, who used to be so close to you, but didn’t even recognise your face anymore? He didn’t know. Taking a deep breath, Alistair tried again. “My name is Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart. I believe you worked for me in the military.” He tried to smile, but it was hard. The hole situation hurt him more than he wanted to admit and he wondered what his heart was doing, making him feel hurt over a woman he had let go of so many years ago. 

 

Alistair and Liz had been done. They’d ended everything, packing up everything that used to be them and putting away the memories in a forgotten corner of their minds as Liz returned to Cambridge, and Alistair gave himself to Doris instead. He’d made a decision, a choice between two women he loved, and Liz had lost. There was nothing left for either of them there, now.

 

And yet, the voice in the back of his mind whispered, hadn’t he missed her? In the loneliness after Doris died, hadn’t he found himself thinking of what could have been if he’d picked Liz instead? Time was rewinding, his mistakes brought back to haunt him as he introduced himself to a woman he used to love.

 

“Lethbridge-Stewart? But that’s...you’re...oh god.” Liz’s shock ten folded, a slim hand covering her mouth as she stared at him. “Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart! I never thought...god, you look so different! Can’t recognise you without the uniform and the tiny mustache.” Liz laughed, and Alistair patted his beard self-consciously, wondering whether it had been a good idea to try something new. His facial hair growth had increased since his youth, and at long last he had gotten tired of constantly shaving it all off.

 

“Yes, I’m afraid I’m retired, now, so no more uniforms.” He answered, smiling.

 

“And no more mustaches.” Liz added, smiling cheekily.

 

“No.Just a beard.” He shook his head. “So, tell me. How is life nowadays? Still enjoying being single, or have you found yourself a proper man?” As soon as he asked, Alistair felt like an idiot. Why  _ that  _ would be his first thing to talk about, he couldn’t tell, but it had been.

 

_ You’re in love, you old fool  _ a voice taunted at the back of his head, but he refused to believe it. He hadn't even spoken to this woman in over a decade. He couldn’t  _ possibly  _ be in love.

 

Hearing what he had to say, Liz laughed, shaking her head. “No. God no! No men in my life. A...girlfriend, for a while, though.” Liz looked up at Alistair suddenly, and he wasn’t quite sure what it was supposed to mean as she stared at him with dark eyes full of hurt. “She died little over two years ago, so it’s just me and the dog left now I’m afraid.” Absentmindedly, Liz patted the straw blonde dog beside her, her other hand holding on tight to the yellow leash. 

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Lost my wife about a year and a half ago, so I know the pain.” Alistair smiled sympathetically, ignoring the surprise in Liz’s eyes.

 

“You got married.” She said, a statement rather than a question, and Alistair nodded.

 

“Yes, in 1978. We started dating after…”  _ After you left _ , he almost said. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. “Me and Doris started dating in the early seventies, and it was all very good. She was kind to Kate.” He finished, thinking of Doris patient care for his daughter. Alistair could see her now, soft hands guiding Kate as she showed how to care for the roses. He could hear Kate giggling delightfully when she did it right. It was a long time past, but for him it felt as though no time had gone by. 

 

“Your daughter, Kate. How is she?” Liz’s smile is polite and her voice genuinly curious but Alistair can tell it’s not what she truly wants to say. 

 

Nonetheless, he indulge her. “Oh, Kate is quite fine. Got a son, now. Can you believe she named my grandson after me? Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.” Alistair told her, pride flowing through his veins as he thought of his grandson, so much like his mother that Alistair sometimes though Kate might as well have cloned herself.

 

Liz nodded, a ridiculously big smile spreading on her face. She didn’t know why her chest felt so warm when she looked at Alistair, but it did. “Patsy and I never had any children. Didn’t adopt, that is. We were a bit past that point when we met, to be honest. And also... Patsy had tried before, I think, and it just... went very far to hell.” Liz frowned, not able to help the bitter tone in her voice as she shuddered. “It just wasn’t a good idea, so we got Bessie instead.” A smile appeared on her lips a new, and she patted the dog on the head.

 

“Dogs are just as good as children, believe me, I’ve tried both.” Alistair laughed lightly. “So, I assume Patsy was your...girlfriend?” Alistair ask carefully, smiling slightly.

 

“Yes. Patricia Haggard. She was my boss for a while, too.” Liz explained, her eyes focused on the dog beside her. “And I assume Doris was your wife.” Liz continued, suddenly starring Alistair in the eye. There was a tension between them, an unspoken something that seemed to make the air vibrate. Finally, Alistair was the one to look away.

 

“Say, where are you going now?” Cheeks burning, Liz smiled shyly as she asked her question. She hadn’t felt this awkward since she was a teenager, clumsily falling in love for the first time, and yet, it felt  _ so good _ .

 

Liz’s heart only warmed more as Alistair smiled right back. One shy smile from the other man, one glimpse of hunger in those dark eyes, and Liz was in love. 

 

“Where ever you and Bessie are going, if you do not mind me accompanying you?” Alistair held out his arm, letting Liz take it and pulling her close. Beside them, Bessie barked excitedly. Clearly, she was enjoying the new company as much as her misstres.

 

“Bessie certainly doesn’t seem to mind, and I always trust her judgement. I am going home..but it will be a pleasure having you accompany me, if that’s what you want.” Liz smile and Alistair’s heart beat just a tad faster. Her dark eyes glitter, and he is in love. “I can offer a cup of tea?”

 

“It would be a pleasure, as long as you promise not to hurt me for having you make tea.” Alistair laughed.

 

“Promise I won’t” Liz responded, leaning against Alistair’s arm as they walked their way out of the park, Bessie walking beside her and perfectly matching her tempo, almost as though sensing the importance that she behaved like a good dog.

 

Together, the two of them walked off into the sunset, both utterly in love. A love that had once died was rekindled, and they had a great future together stretching out in front of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos & comments if you might?


End file.
